Our spiritual lives bear many similarities to this picture. Having a vibrant relationship with the Lord helps us stay connected to Him. Keeping the pathways open to Him allows him to direct every area of our lives.  John 7:38 tells us that from the person who believes in Jesus will flow streams of living water. We are told that God has given us everything we need to experience a victorious life. He has the heart to help us. He has the power to make it happen.  He is our source of hope, peace, and joy in life. When we are in tune with Him we have the most potential of experiencing purpose and meaning in our lives.

When we become distracted from Him we lose our ability to hear Him clearly. There are many things that distract us from God. We often pursue things the world promises will bring us joy, only to be left wanting. Our old habits and behaviors also have a way of misguiding our decisions. Our personal agendas have a great influence on our actions too. There are times when we need to work at nurturing our relationship with Him by fixing the pathways that need work.

There are six major pathways that are described in 2 Peter 1:5-9. We have labeled them as Salvation, Service, Study, Surrender, Sharing, and Stewardship. In the pages that follow we explore each of the pathways with you and offer you some questions to help you evaluate each area in your own life. Evaluating each of these areas will help you determine which pathway needs work. You can then spend some time working out an action plan to improve that pathway. In the months to come, we hope to endeavor to expound on these growth areas, help you identify where you might be and offer you resources to grow in these areas.

Many of you are in the process of starting your LifeGroups for the new year. I want to take a moment and offer you some resources to help you evaluate how your groups are doing and what you might do to make this year as meaningful as possible. These resources are the One-Year Personal Growth Plan and the One-Year LifeGroup Growth Plan. With these tools we hope you can lead the group through a process of helping each member label personal growth areas, and then determine what your group can do as a whole to help your members grow.

 The One-Year Personal Growth Plan is pretty simple. Take some time to ask each member to reflect on where God might be stretching them to grow in their faith. You might look over the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians. These areas might also be more personal in terms of their careers, family (parenting), marriage, health, finances, etc.  As you can see from the form, the two questions each have a space where the individual can think of ways to practically work on these areas (read a book, pray regularly with someone, have an accountability partner, engage in a LifeGroup study…)

 When the members have worked through this, you might have them share these with the group if they feel comfortable. You can then turn the question toward the group as a whole; “What can we do as a group to support you in these areas?” Have the group talk about this. This discussion could flow into a conversation about what we value as a group (you can reference the “Leading Life-Changing Small Groups” workbook, p.79-80).

 When you have an idea of what the needs/values of the group are, you can discuss what your group can do to enhance these values. You can use the One-Year LifeGroup Growth Plan to help develop your group goals for the year. Working through this growth plan should offer your group some clarity on what the year might look like for them and why. This should give them some ownership of the group and help motivate them to engage more in the group. This whole process may take more than one meeting. Just do it at your pace and let the members’ engagement in the process dictate how long it takes.

 We are asking the coaches to meet with you and help you work through these questions. Our hope is that through the process, you will find out more about the needs of your group so that you can lead them more effectively in the year to come.

 Know that we are praying for you as you lead out in these groups!

 Ken Roeloffs

 Pastor to Young Families

II Corinthians 1:3-4

Have you ever considered that many of the trials you and I experience in life can turn out to be the very things God uses to help us become effective in ministering to others? It is often during these trials that we experience God’s comfort and gain a greater compassion and understanding for those who may go through the same things. Sharon Jaynes in her book, “Your Scars Are Beautiful to God”, offers some amazing insights into the scars we have acquired throughout the years.

She tells her story:

 “Perhaps the most painful scars I bear are the ones you cannot see. You know the ones   I am talking about. We all have them. They are the scars in our hearts and our souls.   The scar of rejection from a father who didn’t  know how to love me. The scar of growing   up in a home riddled with alcohol and physical abuse. The scar of disappointment at the loss of a child. The scar of broken dreams.”

“ We receive scars in one  of  two ways: What has been done to us by other people or what  has been done through us by our own mistakes and failures. Either way, I believe that  scars are not something we need to hide or be ashamed of, but rather an  invitation to share the healing power of Jesus Christ with a hurting world. For a scar, by its very             definition, implies healing.”

            Your Scars are Beautiful to God, Sharon Jaynes, p. 8

As you encounter wounded individuals in your groups, you might see these times as opportunities to empathize with their pain and offer them the comfort you have found through your own trials. Our hope is to help people find healing so they too can engage in the healing process with others.

 Ken Roeloffs

Where:  Camp SonShine, located at 13440 South 25th St., Roca, NE

When:  Saturday, July 18—5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

What to Bring:  If your last name begins with  A thru I: bring a salad or side dish;  J thru Z: bring a dessert or side dish

RSVP by July 10th to Lori Adams at 483-6512 or ladams@lincolnberean.org

We invite you to join us at Star City Shores for the VBS Kick Off Swim on Saturday, July 18 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. free of charge to you and your guests. This is a great outreach opportunity to invite guests to the swim as well as VBS.

Take a moment to read each of the goals. See if you feel the tension that is found in each of these goals. You might rate how your group is doing in each area, whether leaning one way or the other. This will help you evaluate what you might work on next quarter. In the resource area of this site, you will find a list of books and study materials your group could use to work in these different areas. 

PURSUING SPIRITUAL FORMATION (Ephesians 1:18) 

The Learning Challenge: Balancing Truth and Life 

When the truth of Scripture meets our personal experiences, there is opportunity for spiritual growth.  Groups often lean toward either studying God’s truth or cultivating life and community. Obviously, both truth and life are important. LifeGroups should help people answer the question, “How will I be different now that I met Christ today?” 

PRACTICING INTENTIONAL SHEPHERDING (I Thessalonians 5:11)

The Development Challenge: Balancing Care and Discipleship

Groups that tend to focus on the spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible study, Scripture memorization) tend to attract the strong and prepare soldiers for the battle.  Groups that spend inordinate amounts of time on caregiving tend to become ingrown and narcissistic. As leaders, we desire to love people wherever they are on their faith journey while challenging them to deeper levels of maturity.  

BUILDING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS (John 15:9-17)

The Relational Challenge: Balancing Friendship and Accountability

We all want good friends, but we also know that friendships without accountability do not produce much growth. Confronting people in their growth areas can be risky to the relationship. Good friends really care about us, challenge our thinking and remind us to maintain our commitments. This requires authentic relationships where people are willing to let others speak into their lives. 

ENCOURAGING HEALTHY CONFLICT (Ephesians 4:25-32)

The Reconciliation Challenge: Balancing Kindness and Confrontation

Tensions just naturally develop, even among friendships. Hurts and disappointments can really drive a wedge into relationships. Our natural tendency is to avoid the conflict and let the hurt fester. Rather than avoid conflict, we see this challenge as a primary opportunity for members to learn how to resolve conflict in healthy ways, speaking the truth in love. This provides us with a great opportunity for believers to learn how to love each other.

 PERFORMING LOVING SERVICE (Galatians 5:13)

The Impact Challenge: Balancing Task and People

Many groups are necessarily formed around accomplishing a task like outreach, serving, or building maintenance. We need to be reminded that though we may have a task to accomplish, our primary purpose is to reach people with God’s love. We need to balance the desire to accomplish things with the goal of touching people’s lives.

 ACCOMPLISHING A DIVINE PURPOSE (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Connection Challenge: Balancing Openness and Intimacy

Healthy groups can provide a lot of support and encouragement for those involved. This network can take a couple of years to develop.  Opening our group to others can disrupt the intimacy we have worked so hard to achieve.  Can we trust God with our group as we take steps of faith to connect with others?

Ken Roeloffs

Sunday, June 28, 2009 from 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm in D-201-202.  Lunch will be served.  No childcare provided.

Sunday, July 12, 2009 from 10:45 am – 12:00 pm in D-201-202.  Brunch will be served. 

Contact Deena Brauer at dbrauer@lincolnberean.org for any questions you might have.

Clyde served as a tail-gunner on a B-26 Marauder, accomplishing bombing runs over Italy during World War II. Near the end of the war his team had completed upwards of 40 missions, mostly taking out bridges and other facilities to frustrate the enemy.  On his way home from one of his final runs, he  looked up and saw a swarm of fighter jets closing in on the bombers.

The fight intensified quickly. In the chaos of the firefight he noticed that the bomber off his right wing had disappeared. His plane had taken a lot of impact too. All through the chaos Clyde was praying for God’s protection. In a rush of intensity there was an explosion and Clyde’s world went into slow motion. Windows were broken, air was rushing in, the gun was no longer working, and his leg was bleeding profusely. He heard the captain calling his name over the intercom. He could not respond.

He regained his senses to see one of his men pulling him out of his gunner position. They stabilized him and bandaged him up for the trip home. The fighter jets had miraculously turned away and gone home.  Their bomber was riddled with holes from head to tail. They limped backed to base thankful that their landing gear had opened. They had made it safely home, but their plane would never fly again. It was so torn up from the mission the mechanic wondered how they ever made it home.

Clyde would always ask me, “Have I ever told you of the time…?” Yes, he had, and I had heard them all.  But I always told him, “no,” because I so much wanted to see his eyes light up as he told his stories of God’s goodness. They were from the heart and they were inspiring. I want to be like that in my life too. Excited about who God is and what He is doing in me and through me to reach the world.

Thank you to Clyde and the other veterans who have served our country.  Your lives are an inspiration to us all.

Ken Roeloffs

We can be diligent at practicing the spiritual disciplines in our lives; but, sometimes such things as prayer and bible study, silence and solitude can feel dry and monotonous. It’s in these places, among others, that spiritual friendships can be very valuable to us. Spiritual friends play a key role in spurring us along in our faith, helping us to gain new perspective and to be diligent during the dry times of the soul. Spiritual friends have the potential of ‘being” Christ to us when the words we read seem dry and lifeless. Mindy goes on to say, “Spiritual friends actively help us pay attention to God. Similar to the way other spiritual practices connect us to God, our soul friends help us sit with him.”

If your LifeGroup is looking for a way to help each other understand the value of relationships, you might explore these workbooks design by Soul Care Resources entitled, Spiritual Friendships,” and “Soul Care.” A number of our groups are diving into these studies and have found them refreshing in their perspective. There are copies available at the office if your group is interested. You can also check out the Soul Care website for more information, and their resource page for more ideas.